Nov. 18, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Senior co-captain Erica Chandler highlighted the Friday prelim session at the Purdue Invitational, breaking Susan Wolfle's 15-year-old varsity record in the 500 freestyle. Chandler's time of 4:48.01 edged Wolfle's previous mark of 4:48.11.
Chandler was one of four Boilermakers to qualify for finals in the 500 free, joining Christine Shehorn (7th; 4:58.12), Nicole Weatherman (9th; 4:59.52) and Yvonne Laaper (10th; 4:59.59). Overall, 16 female Purdue swimmers qualified for night swims and are eligible to score points.
Four Purdue women finished among the top 16 in the 200 individual medley, led by Jennifer Merte's runner-up time of 2:03.82, which is an NCAA provisional cut. Shannon Grace, Stacie Lesneski and Rory Belk placed 10th, 11th and 16th.
The Boilermakers' best outing was in the 50 free, where six swimmers qualified for night swims. Junior Susan Hentschel posted the best Boilermaker time of 23.37, which placed her fourth. Both Hentschel and sixth-place finisher Kimbre Vogel (23.48) registered NCAA provisional cuts.
Purdue's men's team did start as well as the women, with only seven qualifying for finals. Three of those seven qualifiers came from the 200 IM: Romain Maire (2nd; 1:50.16), Giordan Pogioli (5th; 1:51.13) and Jin-Soo Kim (7th; 1:52.39). The championship final of the men's 200 IM will be one of the most competitve of Friday night, as it will also feature Florida Olympians Darian Townsend and Bradley Alley, and Northwestern All-American Mike Alexandrov.
Swimming finals begin at 6 p.m. tonight.
Carrie McCambridge and Amanda Miller finished first and second in the prelims of the 1-meter springboard. McCambridge posted 293.90 points, while Miller scored 286.45 points. The Northwestern tandem of Chelsea Davis and Leanne Dumais placed third and fourth.
The top eight divers qualify for finals. Scores from this afternoon will reset, and the divers will jump six more times.
Steven LoBue and Josh Karshen swept the top two spots in 3-meter competition, finishing with scores of 336.10 and 325.10. J.R. Hillis (5th; 294.80) and Zach Schultz (8th; 270.80) also finished among the top eight and will compete again tonight.